Bookshop

CIRCA Projects celebrate the NGCA’s 20th anniversary, by looking to the gallery’s origins, as Ceolfrith Gallery & Press and Sunderland Arts Centre – originally simply titled ‘The Bookshop’ (1969).

In line with the motivations of the initiator and director of the ‘The Bookshop’ in 1970, Chris Carrell’, CIRCA will open a bookshop at the NGCA, Sunderland:

“stocking a wide range of (21st) Century culture… where as many aspects of contemporary culture could be seen, experienced and enjoyed by the community and presented by artists with national and international reputations…the encouragement of artists living and working in the borough and the introduction of these artists to the community through readings, publications, exhibitions and lectures.”

– Chris Carrell, ‘A report on the past events, future programme, aims and aspirations of the Ceolfrith Arts Centre (formerly known as the The Bookshop and Bookshop Gallery), 27 Frederick Street, Co. Durham, April 1971.

‘The Bookshop’ at the NGCA is motivated by a lack of independent bookshops in Sunderland. A curated selection of merchandise, artist-books and periodicals will be available to buy in the shop as well as archival material on view from Ceolfrith Press. The bookshop will also host a live series of events – performances, readings, screenings and workshops on Saturdays to enliven this new space and to encourage an active reading of the books and ideas held here.

4 of these Saturday events, will be co-curated with University of Sunderland graduates and final year students Danni Harper, Kathryn Barnett, Mohsen Mousavi and Stacey Davidson. Inspired by University of Sunderland (then Sunderland Polytechnic) tutor and prolific artist Robin Crozier’s ‘networked’ approach to producing art (Crozier was famously involved in the postal art movement) CIRCA will work with these 4 students/graduates to initiate a network around their practices through curating a multi-artist event at The Bookshop. Each of these events will develop from the interests of each individual, including: filmmaking and the English eerie, poetic symbolism in artists’ filmmaking, the craft of online painting and audio-broadcast & artists’ writing.

Bookshop will also feature a display of archival materials showcasing the work Ceolfrith Press – a printing press which ran out of the bookshop, producing artist monographs, poetry books and exhibition catalogues. In connection to this CIRCA Projects will invite Foundation Press, a risograph printing press based within University of Sunderland’s Foundation Art & Design Programme, to assist in the production of a number of new artist’s zines and books on-site.